Jet lag is awful. I’m writing this at 5am after returning to California from Japan. Yesterday I woke up at noon. This morning I woke up at 3am and couldn’t fall back asleep.

Jet lag typically hits hardest when you travel east and cross two or more timezones. The resulting chaos on your circadian rhythm can wreak havoc on your health and routine, especially if you need to return to work quickly after traveling.

Thankfully, there are ways to quickly mitigate the effects of jet lag and getting your circadian rhythm back on track.

1. Adjust your schedule to the local time.

This one is obvious. Try your best to align your daily schedule to the time zone that you are currently in. This means waking up at your usual wake up time, eating at your usual meal times, exercising at your usual exercise times… you get it.

2. Get early morning sunlight.

Light is a powerful regulator of our circadian rhythm and gives our body the signal that it’s morning. Get outside as the sun is exponentially more powerful than any light indoors. I recommend at least 10 minutes of being outside facing the sun (but DON’T LOOK DIRECTLY INTO THE SUN) on sunny days and at least 30 minutes on overcast days. For more information on how light affects your brain, read this article.

3. Exercise.

Exercise is a great tool to regulate sleep. In fact, it’s one of the things prescribed to those suffering from insomnia. I recommend getting some cardiovascular exercise during the morning and optionally performing a more intense strength training workout in the afternoon. Just be sure to not workout too late in the evening, as exercise too close to bed time can disrupt sleep.

4. Avoid excessive napping.

Short power naps are helpful in minimizing daytime sleepiness, but napping for too long or too close to bed time can disrupt your normal sleep. Try to avoid napping for longer than 30 minutes and napping past 3pm. If you are able to power through the day, you will more likely be tired a the desired time.

5. Try melatonin.

This is one of the only times that I will ever recommend melatonin. Melatonin has been shown to be helpful in only two contexts: older adults with sleep disturbances and managing jet lag. That’s it. It can be a helpful tool in readjusting your circadian rhythm, but once your sleep is back on schedule, stop it’s use. It’s important to note that melatonin is only helpful in helping with the onset of sleep, not staying asleep. Other types of sleep aids alter the physiology of sleep too much to be beneficial.

Always consult your physician before taking any new supplements or medications.

Wrapping up.

Jet lag sucks. It’s uncomfortable, gets us off our routine, and is potentially dangerous if we’re driving for long distances while jet lagged. Use these techniques to quickly manage your jet lag.

For more on improving your sleep, read this article.